Astoria Column

Posted on by Crystal M. Trulove
My friend Sandy and I were standing on the dock, looking in all directions and enjoying the view when we spotted the Astoria Column above the city of Astoria.

I had a new perspective of the Astoria Column this week: I happened to spot it from the river shore. It’s great to see this much-loved landmark in a new way.

The remarkable Astoria Column rising above the trees.

Sandy was game to head up the hill and get a closer look. So off we went. The weather that day was outstanding. It was marred, however, by smoke in the sky from small wildfires in the region. Still beautiful, though.

Two views of the truly impressive Astoria Column
The images that spiral up the column are meant to tell the history of the region.

I have blogged about the Astoria Column in the past. It was erected in honor of the Astor family contributions to the city (notably, the name of the city).

It’s hard to get a better view of the mouth of the Columbia River than from this high point. Yes, it’s a fire out there. It started earlier in the day, and though I searched the Interwebs, I could not find a news story about the fire.

From the parking lot, you can see some really gorgeous landscapes.

There are even Adirondack Chairs for you to watch the view in style and comfort.
Except for the unfortunate fire, it’s a lovely view.
This is a clear blue sky day, but what you see above is smoke.
The Astoria Column is at the peak of a high hill, so the views are in every direction. This Native-carved boat has no information sign, so I can’t tell you anything about it. I don’t even know boats well enough to be able to tell you which tribe carved it.

Sandy came to pick me up on Thursday because we wanted to get together and I was trapped at home due to my car being in the auto shop for repairs. I am grateful that she rescued me from just another day at home. The weather at the coast was outstanding and the company was lovely. In my next post I will talk about walking around town, discovering a Nordic Heritage Park, stuffing ourselves on delicious seafood while watch that fire begin. Just as an added note, I keep checking the news and there is no information about the fire. My guess is that it was contained quickly, and did not become newsworthy. Which is a very good thing.

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Published by Crystal M. Trulove

storyteller, thinker, worker, lover, student, mother, dreamer, achiever